During World War II, the 34th Bomber Group (Heavy), 7th Bomber Squadron was activated on January 15, 1941 and first flew patrol missions along the east coast of the United States. The unit moved to England in April of 1944 and prepared for and supported the Allied invasion of Normandy. Over the summer of 1944 they were supporting the French campaign at St. Lo by delivering supplies and bombing enemy targets. Later they supported Allied forces as they moved into Belgium and Germany until the war’s end in Europe on May 8, 1945

Green County Airman Richard T. Booth served in the US Army Air Force with the 34th Bomber Group, 7th Bomber Squadron.

Richard T. Booth was born in 1922 in Wisconsin to Maxwell and Marie (Mattern) Booth.

On the 1930 US census, the Booth family was living in Monroe in Green County. The household included father Max, mother Marie, brother Phillip, Richard, and grandmother Katherine Mattern. Father Max was the County Clerk for the Circuit Court. Older siblings Charles and Maxime were not living with the family on this census count.

On the 1940 US census, Marie was the head of household and was a widow. She was living with sons Charles and Richard in Monroe. Son Richard was 17, had completed his 3rd year of high school, and was working as a bellboy in a hotel for paid wages.

Richard Booth graduated with the class of 1940 from Monroe High School. 

It is likely that Booth enlisted in service in World War II on June 13, 1942 in Detroit, Michigan. He listed his birth year as 1922 in Wisconsin. He had 1 year of college and his civilian occupation was “actors or actresses.” His original rank was private and he enlisted in the Air Corps. He was originally in the Reserves and was single.

Booth was killed in action on September 22, 1944 in Hoevelhof, Germany. According to the Honor States website, Booth “was on the crew of the B-17G (#43-38399) during a mission to Kassel, Germany when they had a mid-air collision with another B-17 (#43-38294) and crashed, killing the entire crew of nine men.”

A little more detail is given on the American Air Museum website for the history of the aircraft #43-38399. On the August 28, 1944 mission, “Dick” Booth was serving as a navigator on the plane. The plane crashed at Hovelhof, northwest of Paderborn, Germany. 

From the November 29, 1944 The Capital Times, Madison, Wisconsin, there was an article titled “Monroe Officer Killed in Action.” The article stated, “Lieut. Richard T. Booth, 22, son of Mrs. Marie Booth, Monroe, was killed in action Sept. 22 in the crash of his bomber over Germany according to a telegram from the war department. Lieut. Booth had previously been reported as missing in action. His mother is at present visiting her son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Denley I. Priest, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Lieut. Booth was a navigator on a Liberator bomber based in England and had only two more missions to complete in order to fulfill his 35 missions.

Surviving besides his mother and sister are two brothers, both in service, Lieut. Charles A. Booth in France and Lieut. Phillip G. Booth in California.”

2nd Lieutenant Richard T. Booth was buried at the Ardennes American Cemetery in Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium. 

Booth received the Air Medal with three oak clusters and the Purple Heart, awarded posthumously. He was mistakenly listed on the Monroe County, Wisconsin Honor List with the National Archives instead of the Green County list.

Thank you, Second Lieutenant Richard T. Booth, for your service and supreme sacrifice to this country. We honor you and remember you.